Railway mail-crane.



A. HUPP.

RAILWAY MAIL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 29. 1913.

Patented June 5, 1917.

1N: Ncnms suns co. Naw-uma. WASH/naman. u cI ALBERT I-IUPP, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO HUPP AUTO- MATIC MAIL EXCHANGE COMPANYpOF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A

CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

RAILWAY MAIL-CRANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1917.

Application led October 29, 1913. Serial No. 798,080.

tive position, and to have the arms then swung to a position to deliver the mail bag, and in which the arms are automatically secured in this position.

It is a further object to provide a latching means which is automatically set when the bag is placed on the armsand which is automaticallyreleased when the bjag'is delivered so that the arms will be free to be swung to their inoperative position.

A further object is to provide improved means for swinging the arms from the operative to the inoperative position.

Other objects, and the features of novelty will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a mail crane embodying ymy improvements, and shown in connection with a mail receiving trough.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of the crane.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan with certain parts in section to show the latching'mecha- IllSm.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig.,3. Y p l Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates generally the framework `of a mail receiving trough, the'mail being received from the train on the inclined platform 11. At the rear of the trough the frame work supports an elevated platform 12, and one or ymore posts 13 which are preferably secured'to the platform 12 by means of flanges 14, and extend below the platform vand, arersecured to the frame work by suitable brackets'l.

yThe lpost 13 has adjustably secured thereon the conical members 16 and' 17, these conical members being formed in halves'which are secured together by bolts 18. As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the conical members 16 and 17 are oppositely arranged on the post 13 and supporta tubular member 19 which is rotatable thereon, the conical members serving as bearings for the ends of the tubular member. By having thel members 16 and 17 of conical form and adjustable on the post 13, it is possible to yreadily take up any wear in the parts and to also hold the tubular member 19 in such a manner as to prevent rattling thereof. y

Secured on the tubularmember 19 are the flanges 2O and 21, the flange 20 having are pivoted to the flanges at 26 and between the ends of the brackets on each pair of arms there is arranged a spring 27 and a bolt 28, the springs yieldingly holding the outer yends of the arms in closed position to secure the mail bag.

From the drawings, it will be seen that the upper pair of arms is shorter than the lower pair, the latter forming a seat for the mail bag, which is shown at A in Fig. 1. As shown in this ligure, the upper arms are adapted to' pinch the upper part'of the mail bag to hold the same in position. At the top of the post 13 is a'cap 29 which'is adapted to protect the parts from rain, etc.

'The arms 22 and 24 are connected togetherbetween the tubular member 19 and the mail bag by a tie-rod 30, and the arms 23 and 25 are connected bya similar rod 31, these rodsl reinforcing 'and stiflening the arms.

The tubular member 19 ris adapted to be rotated on the conical members 16 and 17 to move the arms from the inoperative position, usually at the rear ofthe post 13, to theoperative position shown in Fig. 1, and in order to hold the tubular member 19 with the arms in the position shown in Fig. 1, I have provided in one of the arms, as the arm 25, a latch member 32, theinner end of which is tapered to engage a suitable opening 33 inthe post 13. QA plunger 34 is slidably arranged in the tube 25, and has connected therewitha rod 35 having an Oif-V set portion 36 whichr extends through a slot' 37 in the arm and projects across the space between the arms 24 and 25. (See Fig. 3)..

The portion 36 of the rod 35 being approximately at the ends of the arms 24 and 25, it willv be'obvious that in order-toinsert the I Y edge Yof the mail bag between these arms for theV purpose of securing? the bag, it willbe necessary to move the rodi-35 toward the post 13. y'Ihere is arranged between the latch member 32 and' the plunger 34 a compression spring 38,and when the rod 35 is moved toward the postl3 this springis put under compression which will 'force the innerend of thelatch member into the opening 33 whenfthetubular member 19is'turned to move the arms to theipos'itionv shown in Fig. l. |The pinching of they mail bagby the arms 24 and 25 so holds the bag that the rod 35 is held in opposition to the spring 38, but when the bagfis delivered to'thetrain, the spring 38 forces the rod 35 outward to the posit-ion 'shown in Fig. `3, and is thus re-' lieved" of its compression, thelatch member 32 being as a consequence free to becomek disengaged Afrom the opening 33.

`Inorder to automatically turnthe tubular member'19 so as to -move the arms to the in- .operativeiposition and hold them there,'I

haveprovided in the annular spacey between the'post'l3 andthe tubular member attorsion spring 39, the vend 40 of which is selcuredto the post 13,the end 41 being secured to the tubular'member. When the arms are in their .inoperative position, the

" spring 39 is without tension, but the operaf post, `spaced conical Vmembers adjustablyfse- Y cured rthereon, a rotatable tube having lits ends bearin-gon"V said members, and'arms on said: tube adapted tosuppor't a y:mail: bag. 1

tion ofV swinging the arms totheoperative position,V putsv this :spring Vunder tension vand the arms are held in their operative position, inl opposition to the tension of the spring 39,

by the'engagement of the latch 32^with the openin-gf33 in the post.

Each pair of the'arms is provided with a small bracket 42 which bridges the space between'the arms and'limits 'f the `extent toV which thefbag lmay-be inserted.

fItl isV believed that the "foregoing description Awill renderl the operation off the crane y'clear 'without a'detail'description -and this has,y therefore, l'been omitted.

I-IavingY thusffully described my invention, whatr I claim is.: f

l? In -a mail crane, the combination cfa post, Ea' tubularfmember rotatably' supported ffthereby,bag4 supporting lvarms secu-redv Vir'on said tubiularmember,' a 2springpressed latch eitending'f Sinto the sai-"dr 'tubular l'member to coact with the post therein to hold; the latter with said arms in position to deliver a bag, and a spring .pressed memberV carried by one of said arms andoperatively connected with said latch` y Y 'y 3. In a mail crane, the combination of a post, a tubular member rotatably supported thereby, bag supporting arms secured von said tubular member, a spring pressed latch coacting with said post and ysaid tubular member tovholdlV the latter with said arms Vin position to deliver a bag, and a spring the latter with said arms in positionto: deliver afbag, a member mountedfon one'yof said arms and arranged to be moved by the bagwhen the latter is'attachedftofthearm,

la-nd yieldable Yconnecting "means A"between said member and said latch.

' 5. Ina mail craneythe lcombination of a post, a tubular member rotatably supported thereby, bag supporting arms secured on said tubular member, Aa latchcarried by -said .tubularl memberand Vadapted to fenga'ge a ypart of-sai'dpostto hold 'the tubular member lwith'saiid yarms in posit-ion' to deliver a bag, a Ymember slidably -mountedf on f' one of 2said armsand 'arranged to be moved by 'the bag n when thelatteriis attached-to `the\-ar1n,-and A` a spring coacting with'sa-id -member and-said 4latch to'hold'the latch 'infengagement'with j the post when a bag-is-attached to the arms and41 adapted toy restore saidmember'and release thel latch` when the bag is delivered. 'y

6J In a mail crane, the-combination*oit1 a post, caf' tube\rotatable thereon, arms' on' said tubeadapted to support a mailibagfa: latch "for holding said tube witlr the armsy in position to deliver a mail bag*and'iadaptedtobe set by the securingI ofthe bag to saidlarms andL released by the delivery o' the'bag,5a1fd 4a torsion spring connected with the tubeWa-n'd the post'and a'daptedtoturnfthe tube to move the arms to the inoperative position Iafter the delivery; of thebag.

7. vIn 5 a mail crane, the combination ko-a' post, a member: supported therebyaand having adapted to form a seatffor a 'mailbag Y r`8. EIn"'am`ail` crane,`}the combinationv 'of 'fa fpost, a tubular memberrotatably supported l thereon, bag supportingyarms arrange'deon saidmembera'alatchcarriedl by ione of'said` f arms, I a'spring YAhaving onef-end; in y"engage- 'mentwithfsaid latch, and@ a i plunger: carried byr said' arm and `engaging l the opposite end ing vertically-'spaced arms, the upper-*of o said arms beingthe shorter:and-thelowerbeof said spring and adapted to be moved to- Ward said post to compress the spring by the securing of the mail bag to said arms.

9. In a mail crane, the combination of a post having a latch opening, a tubular member supported on said post, bag supporting arms pivoted to said tubular member, a latch carried by one of said arms and adapted to engage said opening to prevent the tubular member from turning, aI plunger movable longitudinally of said arm, and a spring between said plunger and said latch7 said plunger' being adapted to be moved to compress said spring by the Seeur,

ing of the mail bag and being forced in the opposite direction to relieve the compression of said spring when the mail bag is delivered.

10. In a mail crane, the combination of a post, a tubular member rotatably supported thereby, bag supporting arms secured on said tubular member, releasable means for holding said tubular member in position to deliver a bag comprising a latch member eX- tending into the tubular member to coact With the post therein.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ALBERT HUPP. Witnesses:

JOHN M. Corr, ARTHUR L. BRYANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

